Frankfurt Airport’s new Terminal 3 was officially inaugurated on 23 April 2026. The new building will gradually take over operations from Terminal 2 at one of the busiest airports in the world for international travellers.
Frankfurt Airport’s new aviation infrastructure has been in the making since 2015. With a footprint of 176,000 square meters, floor space reaching 403,000 square meters, and 112,000 tons of steel used during the construction, Terminal 3 has quite literally been a massive undertaking.
Since 23 April 2026, the new terminal and two extra piers (H and J) have been officially open. Designed to handle 19 to 25 million passengers a year, Terminal 3 will gradually take over those airlines currently operating out of Terminal 2.
Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, Korean Air, Kuwait Airways, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Saudia, and T’Way Air switched terminals starting from the beginning, while a schedule can be consulted on Frankfurt Airport’s website to know when the other airlines will follow. A so-called Sky Line people mover transports passengers to the other terminals in eight minutes.
According to the airport, Terminal 3 was designed in such a way as to “view the airport not merely as a place of transit, but as a space for experience.” Therefore, the building was conceived much like a city, with piers, gates, and lounges considered as the equivalent of a city’s streets and squares.
“These days airports have become a destination in their own right. In fact, they typically receive more visitors than many city centres. This makes it even more important for airports to also perform some of the same functions as cities. We’re making this happen in Terminal 3,” German architect Christoph Mäckler, who was in charge of the project, explained.
Artsy airport
In order to elevate the general feeling of the terminal even further, Frankfurt Airport selected an Artist in Residence to give the building an artistic touch. The chosen artist is Frankfurt-based Tobias Rehberger, a professor at the Städelschule and winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale. His works centre around the theme of transition, which stands central at airports across the globe. Slogans including ‘Say Hello To Goodbye’ or ‘In 2 Days Tomorrow is Yesterday Somewhere Else’ are focal points in his art.
“These neutral spaces often sap your energy. You sit at the gate and feel as though you’re wrapped in cotton wool. However, when you turn these ‘non-places’ into places, a sense of identification arises. You could say, ‘Let’s meet there.’ This completely transforms the experience, both psychologically and mentally, and even physically. Art can take this a step further by triggering thought processes and opening up new perspectives, not merely being decorative,” commented Tobias Rehberger.
Of course, Terminal 3 also features a number of culinary and shopping outlets. The building has two food courts, a bar, and a selection of restaurants such as EL&N London, Sophia Loren Restaurant, Origin Bar + Eatery, and Burger King. Standard Duty Free shops, as well as more upscale options including BOSS, FALKE, and LONGCHAMP, complete the offer.
